Good A Discussion Of Animal Equality And Rights Argumentative Essay Example

INTRODUCTION

Most human beings cannot comprehend the idea of not having a certain amount of rights, be they social, cultural or political. In the United States, perhaps more than anywhere in the world prides itself on its individual rights and freedoms. But the reality is that while human beings have created numerous ethical, moral and universalized laws, policies and standards that guarantee their rights to freedom, life and liberty, as well as, a innate value placed upon their existence have been granted to human beings by other human beings; however, these rights are exclusively apply to humans and no one and nothing else. In the eyes of human philosophies and assumptions no other species is worthy of being considered equal to human beings. Other animal species, being domesticated pets, like dogs and cats, or livestock species, like cattle and sheep, are considered inferiors to human beings and therefore are perceived as “expendable.” Their fates are left in the hands of the needs, wants and whims of human beings. This is a terrible breech of genuine ethics and is depriving other species of the world from their freedom, value and right to existence that all individual life should be able to receive. In “All Animals are Equal,” Peter Singer, discusses this very issue in great detail. (2007). Research supports that human interpretations of intelligence, awareness, emotional capacity and individuality are traits too often attributed solely to human when, in fact, other species are proving to possess many of the same traits and qualities. Many species, other than human beings, in the animal kingdom have earned the right to a number of, both, basic and inalienable rights.

HISTORY

Human beings rally their superiority under the banner that as the “most advanced,” the most complex and most intelligent species, this automatically gives them rights above and beyond other life forms. This is a status that human beings awarded themselves. There are intellectual, philosophical and religious origins to the innate supremacy of humanity. There are perceptions that animals lack intelligence or understandings of thoughts and emotions and religion offers some believers that God ordained that mankind was superior and can do with this planet what they please (Debate Organization. 2013). It is easy to claim that dominance and superiority when you are the ones using yourselves as the comparable standard. Sometimes human beings see themselves as something separate and above the world. Modern human beings are no longer subject; really, to the natural order and evolution that still affects the rest of nature. Human beings no longer adapt and conform to the environment; they force environments to adapt to them. However, that will never negate the factor that human beings, scientifically speaking, are an animal; all humanity is, an intelligent animal; but we are just one species among millions; all of whom should have rights and considerations (Singer, 2007).

DISCUSSION

Human beings argue that animals are “dumb,” lacking the identifying traits of self awareness, complex problem solving skills or higher order cognitive abilities (Debate Organizations, 2013). Now in fairness, no one is suggesting that the neighbors golden retriever will start solving calculus equations or tacking applied physics, but scientists have verified that many animals are quite skilled problem solvers, like dolphins and elephants, for example (Beckoff, 2013).Chimpanzees can and do recognize themselves in a reflection and can be entirely selfish and, therefore, self aware. That said greater research is proving that the human equation is not the only one that results in quality intelligence. Intelligence is, it would seem, relative. Some forms of intelligence can manifest in different ways for different species and individuals within that species. All the same it is still intelligence.
Emotional capacity has been the center of many studies over the years. Are the emotions of other species as deep, heartfelt and relevant as human emotions? Many studies have verified that while other spices of animals are much more attuned to their instinctual needs and biological imperatives than many human beings they are still capable of expressing sadness, happiness and compassion. This can be seen in the way animals, particularly communal animals, care for their own sick, injured and very young. The way pets have defied the programming of “self preservation” and run into burning buildings to save the ones that they love and trust. Some species mourn their dead and hurt, blatantly, from that loss (Bekoff, 2013).
Animals are individuals, while many animals may appear to look the same, making them seem less individual and more interchangeable. In reality, every animal, no matter how similar, are never identical. Just like human beings; even identical twins are not truly identical. Animals can and do have unique and different personalities. (Debate Organization, 2013). Some dogs are excitable and playful, while others are calm and reserved. This speaks to animal individuality; their personalities and feelings are arbitrated by their experiences, environments and influences; just like human beings. The idea that other species may share more with human beings, including sentience; it would destabilize the world ideologies that human beings are somehow special or better than any other species, which of course would be a harsh reality to the human egos all across the world (Goldman, 2013).
If animals, in fact, do possess all of the same intellectual existence, self awareness and emotional capacities that are equal, then they should be entitled to the same rights and protections that human beings have, too long, offered only themselves. What is most fascinating is that depriving those deemed inferior are disqualified from the inalienable rights that human, in many cases, take for granted. For centuries anyone who was not of Caucasian descent was not included in the rights of men. Women, also, were considered second lass, and for a long time in human history, they were considered incapable of learning, thinking, understanding logic and or acting within intellectual pursuits. Women were weak in body and mind and non-whites were seen as less than human (Singer, 2007). However, these historical slights and unethical biases have slowly but surely been lessened and diminished in some cases. Such change is also called for in the case of animal rights and equality.
The opposition to animal rights and the mere idea of animal equality is absolutely out of the question for some people. They feel adamantly that animals are not like human beings, they are little more than tools to be used as human beings see fit. They simply state that because animals are inferior to human beings we are, simply, not obligated to concern themselves with their well-being (Debate Organization, 2013). However, science is proving more and more each and every day that animals are capable of so much more. For many Americans they are not ready to consider animal equality, however, they make it clear that that is not an excuse to commit animal cruelty. Animals should be protected, but that need for human protection is part of what makes them inferior (Singer, 2007). However, that is laughable logic because the only thing animals need protecting from is human beings.
As far as the religious perspectives are concerned, while biblical and other iconic religious texts do not argue for animal rights it, they, also, do not explicitly claim that human beings may do as they wish with the animals. God made the world and the animals and gave Adam dominion and the role of guardian over all of God’s creation (Singer, 2007). Most modern scholars and religious philosophers feel that God did not give permission to pave over his world, pollute the environment and drive thousands of species to the brink of or completely into extinction. Throughout history many could say that they have misused and abused the power of their self-appointed position. Throughout history human beings even work “to draw superficial distinctions between groups within their own species in order to justify or rationalize the poor treatment of others” (Goldman, 2013). If they were segregate within their own species unjustly and ignorantly, could it not also be true that they have made a mistake in belittle and underestimating the potential other species of animals on the planet. The answer is yes.
Now in fairness, the rights that matter for animal species are not those involving free education or voting for the United States presidency. However, the right to freedom, greater protection under the laws, the right not to be held for the testing of human products, hunted for sport or driven to extinction through human ignorance. Animals are not mindless or emotionless as those that oppose animal rights would have the public believe (Debate Organization, 2013). The reality is quite the opposite. For too many years animals have been treated unfairly, unethically and immorally in many ways. This modern era is one where science, medicine, biology and all of the educated disciplines are able to understand the inner workings of living things and have found that animals are not so very different from human beings; at least not so different as was previously thought (Goldman, 2013). That said it is time to right a wrong, just as has been done in the past, and reconsider the position, place and perceptions of non-human animals that exist in the world today.

CONCLUSION

Humanity is just one species on this planet. Too long human beings have looked at the world and compared everything around them, using themselves as the highest possible basis of comparison. This is not truer when it comes to crediting, defending and supporting that other species, non-human species, could be considered equal in many ways that denying them those considerations may be a terrible violation of basic rights that all living things should share. Again, regardless, the intelligence species rights may and should be granted the basic respect of its right to live; its well-being should never be expendable. More so the basis of low intelligence, emotion and complexities that has been used as the measuring tape by which that inferiority is judged has been and is being disproved and is being perceived as unfair, unjust, and, in the case of many animal, completely and utterly untrue. Animals are not "throw-away," they are as unique and individual as human beings; they earned the right to be granted the most inalienable rights of sentient and self aware beings.

REFERENCES

Bekoff, M. (2013, September 6). After 2,500 studies, it's time to declare animal sentience proven. Live Science Magazine, 1. Retrieved from http://www.livescience.com/39481-time-to-declare-animal-sentience.html
Goldman, J. G. (2013, June 10). Gathering emotional intelligence. Conservation Magazine, 1. Retrieved from http://conservationmagazine.org/2013/06/animal-wise-review/
Singer, P. (2007). All animals are equal. Colorado Education, Spring, 1-10.
Debate Organization. (2013). Should animals be treated with equal rights as humans?. Retrieved from http://www.debate.org/opinions/should-animals-be-treated-with-equal-rights-as-humans